More than $13,000 is needed to finish work outside the Butler County Courthouse.

The county commissioners are set next week to vote on a $13,349 change order from Uhl Construction of Allison Park covering waterproofing, excavation and underpinning along the north side of the building.

If approved, the change order would be part of an overall increase of nearly $21,000 to the original $237,500 contract to reroute rainwater.

John Campbell, director of county facilities and operations, told the commissioners Wednesday the contractor has been adding a footer around the building, which dates back to 1885.

He said when a test hole was drilled on the south side of the courthouse, the result did not indicate any gaps in the foundation.

“There was a foundation there,” Campbell said.

He explained the contractor did not know about the foundation gaps until work began.

The project's purpose is to prevent further water damage to the courthouse basement.

French drain was installed and concrete poured where mainly dirt lay around the base of the courthouse.

Workers are raising the edge of the street adjacent to the new expanded handicap-accessible corners of the sidewalk.

Even with the added $21,000, the cost still is lower than next lowest bid of $267,338 submitted for the project in March.

Although Uhl has until the end of July to complete the work, Campbell estimated the job to be complete by next week.

“They should have the fence down,” he said in an interview.

The commissioners also will consider granting Uhl a 90-day extension to replace the bollards, the thick posts meant to divert vehicles, in front of the government center.

If approved, the completion will be extended from July 31 to Oct. 31

Campbell said since Uhl also is doing the $3.5 million project to install a new exterior to the government center, work on the building's entrance should wait.

He said the sidewalk by the upgraded entrance to the government center, which opened in 1991, also needs to be raised.

Campbell cited a requirement under the American Disabilities Act requiring no more than a 1 percent slope from a street to a sidewalk.

Along with discussing agenda items, the commissioners ratified an agreement with Barkley Auctions to auction off roughly 50 copiers on Tuesday.

The copiers are no longer used since the county switched from three vendors to a single contract with Xerox.